The Cure
by Bwans
Summary: UPDATED! Hige becomes seriously ill, but no one knows how. Can they find the cure? pg for future chapters with possible language
1. The Illness

I decided to write this after watching Wolf's Rain and Hige was acting funny and stuff like that. Hige is so lovable. But personally I like Kiba the most. Hehe, well anyway, I think I'm getting better, and I hope you think the same! Please Read and Review! Thanks much. Ja ne!

youkaigirl

Chapter 1

"HA CHOO!"

"Hige, will you stop sneezing already?" Tsume glared back at him. Hige rubbed his nose.

"You think I want to sneeze or somethin'?" he yelled back. Tsume just glared and looked away. Hige sighed. Toboe looked at him for a moment. "What are you looking at?" Hige asked.

"Why do you keep sneezing, are you sick?" Toboe asked, a bit of concern in his voice.

"Eh, it's probably just a little cold, nothing to worry about. For all I know, it might just be something in the air," Hige shrugged his shoulders. Toboe stared a moment longer, as if in disbelief, then turned away. His reddish copper hair bouncing as they continued walking. Kiba had remained silent through most of the walk. He just walked next to Cheza, hand in hand. It seemed natural for him to do that. It just seemed like it was supposed to be.

Tsume didn't say much either, but then again, Tsume never talked very much. There wasn't much to say at all. No conflicts, well not serious ones like they had before they met Cheza. When they were around her, the felt at peace with each other, and them selves. Everything was right. She would lead them to paradise and they could all be happy. The only problem was, they didn't know how long it would take to get to paradise. Or what danger they would met along the way. But no one thought about that at the moment. Everyone just walked. It was like they weren't thinking at all.

Hige held back another sneeze. He used part of his sleeve and rubbed his nose again. He saw Toboe give him another glance of concern. He worried about all of them, more than himself sometimes. He cared almost too much. But somehow, Hige liked knowing that someone was actually worried if he lived or died. That thought comforted him.

"Hige are you sure it's just a cold?" Toboe walked beside him now.

"Don't worry kid, I'm fine!" Hige smiled one of his big funny looking smiles. Toboe still gave him a look of disbelief. Hige sighed. "I can guarantee you that I'm fine, so stop worrying, OK?" Hige ruffled Toboe's hair. He smiled again. Toboe smiled with him.

"You two better stop the chit-chat, you're falling behind!" Tsume yelled to them. Hige and Toboe stared up ahead, where they stopped on top of a hill. They didn't realized they had slowed that much. "I said hurry up, or we'll leave you!" he yelled. Toboe ran up the hill. Hige quickened his pace, but didn't run. He soon took his spot in the back of the line again.

The moon was full and silver. It shone with a gorgeous light. It proved to be helpful as the ventured through the empty land. Though they had light, they had no warmth. So they decided to stop for the night. If Kiba had a say in it, they would still be traveling, but Hige and the others convinced him that they needed to stop and rest for once. Rest, that was something that didn't come very often for any of them.

Toboe noticed that Hige seemed colder than the rest of them. Well, he thought, Hige does have a tendency of exaggerating things. But Hige had been acting worse than usual. Toboe decided he would have to keep an eye on him. He stopped for a moment and thought about it. For once he was the one watching and not being watched.

"Well we can't rest long, so get to sleep," Kiba said as he found a comfortable spot on the ground. Cheza was next to him.

"Yes, we all must rest," Cheza smiled. Everyone gladly sat around her. The gentle scent of the Flower Maiden drifting around them. Even Tsume relaxed as he sat down and curled up next to Cheza. He never let it show very often how much he loved being around Cheza.

The night drifted on slowly. Every now and again, Toboe would wake up and check to make sure Hige was all right. Every time he did, Hige was sound asleep. Now nothing seemed wrong with him. Toboe thought it would be best if he just stopped worrying for the night and got some sleep. That would be the best thing to do right now, he thought.

Early the next morning, Kiba woke everyone, urgent to move on. Though no one knew why, no one was going to find them out in this barren waste land. No one would want to come there because of the rapid changes in weather, it could be warm when you start then go to freezing cold. So they didn't know why Kiba was so worried. But then they remembered, he wanted to get to Paradise at all costs.

Hige sneezed again, followed by a slight cough. Everyone stopped for a second. He looked up and noticed them staring at him. He laughed a nervous laugh, and they turned away and walked on. Except for Toboe. He stood in front of Hige with an intense look. Hige backed away some, but Toboe just stepped up to him again.

"What do you want Toboe?" Hige asked.

"You were lying, it's not a cold is it?" he replied.

"No, I'm just fine, now let's go before we get left behind!" Hige grabbed Toboe's arm and pulled him along.

"Hige! Don't pull so hard!" Toboe yelled as he was dragged them.

The day seemed like it would never end. It was only noon or later. The sun gave some warmth in its golden rays, but barely enough to warm them all. Whenever they found some, they would stop to drink the fresh water. They needed to stop for Cheza mainly. So they just drank when she did. Toboe had been keeping a sharper eye on Hige. Nothing seemed worse, other than his sneezing and his newly developed cough.

But what Toboe didn't know was how Hige was really feeling on the inside. Hige knew he had a slight fever, he could feel the warmth of one beginning to burn in his mind. His stomach was uneasy, but the cold water usually helped calm it down. He knew he had something more than just a cold, but he just couldn't figure out how he got it. Nothing had happened to him that could cause this. THINK HIGE!! His mind screamed at him. What did you do, why is this happening? He asked himself.

Hige fell to the back of the line again by mid-afternoon. Though no one really noticed, except for Toboe. But he just thought he was getting lazy. That's what everyone thought. He got so lazy on a regular basis, that they didn't think anything of it. But the truth was that Hige was losing the energy to move faster. To him it felt like he was being drained completely of his strength. He could feel the full power of the fever now. It was more intense then he thought it would be.

The uneasy feeling in his stomach grew more and more. Soon whenever they had water, it didn't help. He would drink it only because it soothed his dry throat. He nearly stuck his head in wanting to cool his fevered head. But the water was getting harder to find, and the dryness of the land grew. Soon Hige felt like he could barely lift his feet off the ground. The pain was going through all of his body now. His head burned, his stomach was tied in knots. His arms and legs were stiff and sore. The pain of this illness whatever it was, was consuming him. Where ever it came from, it was planning to take Hige down. How ever it got there, it wasn't going away.

Hige tried not to drag his feet. He didn't speak at all, his throat hurt too much. Where did the water go? His mind asked. Hige shook his head. If he kept thinking about it, it would only get worse. So he tried to avoid thinking about any of it. He just thought about what he would once he got to Paradise. Hige, stop, you know you're body can't take much more, his mind wanted to rest too. No, he told himself. I can't stop, not yet. He argued with his mind. But his mind didn't want to go on, it knew that this wasn't good to keep moving like this. His mind finally decided he had to stop, even if his body didn't want to.

Hige collapsed on the dry ground, the pain of the illness consuming him in darkness . . .


	2. Hold on Hige

Chapter 2

Toboe turned at the sound of a thump behind him. He saw Hige laying on the ground, he wasn't moving. He felt a shock wave of worry rush into his head.

"Hige!" Toboe yelled as he ran to his motionless body. The others stopped and turned. They all ran back to Hige. "Hige wake up!" Toboe yelled as he shook Hige's shoulders. He heard Hige let out a small moan, that was almost a yelp. "Hige? Hige what's wrong!" Toboe shouted into his ear. Hige stirred.

"Don't yell, it hurts too much," his whispered hoarsely.

"It hurts?" Toboe asked. But Hige was drifting in and out of consciousness. "Hige . . ." his voice drifted off.

"What's going on?" Tsume asked. Toboe looked up at him with worried eyes.

"Hige is really sick, or something," Toboe said as he looked down at Hige again. "What should we do Kiba?" he asked. Kiba didn't say anything for a moment. He bent down next to Toboe and placed his hand over Hige's forehead. He pulled it back a second later.

"He's burning up," he mumbled to himself. "The next town isn't that much farther, I just don't know what kind of treatment we can get for him. As long as he looks like a human, it should be fine," Kiba said as he stood up.

"How are we going to get him there?" Toboe asked.

"Some one has to carry him, how else?" Kiba said in a flat tone. "I'm going to carry Cheza until we reach the town for water, she's getting weak and we better hurry, so I guess Tsume, you have to carry Hige," Kiba said as he helped Cheza up on his back.

"Why do I have to?" Tsume asked in an angry tone.

"Do you think Toboe would be able to carry him?" Kiba asked.

Tsume glared at him, as Toboe helped lift Hige up. Hige is heavier than he looks, Tsume thought to himself. But according to Kiba, he wouldn't have to carry him that far. Even though Tsume wouldn't let it show, he did feel some worry for Hige. Tsume made sure not to show much emotion. It was just something he did. He stopped thinking about what he did when he heard Hige begin to cough again. His cough was worse.

"Kiba, how long is it going to take to get to this town! The bastard's heavy," Tsume grumbled.

"Look it's right there," Kiba pointed off to the horizon. It would only take another hour at the very most. At the speed they were traveling, it would only take half an hour if that.

They finally reached the town. No one in the town paid much attention to the new comers. Not that they wanted them to. Tsume put Hige down and leaned him against a building. The only way they knew that he was still with them, was by his heavy breathing and occasional cough. Kiba put Cheza down next to Hige. He then left to go find water. Toboe sat down next to Hige. Hige's head was bowed, and it shadowed his face. Toboe reached over and was about to feel Hige's forehead when Kiba returned with two bottled waters.

"Here Cheza," he said as he helped get a drink. Cheza continued drinking the water as Kiba pulled out the other bottle. He opened it and poured some into Hige's mouth. He swallowed it, but then began to cough again. "We have to get him some help soon," Kiba stood up. "I'll go and see if they have any where that will treat him. I want you to stay here Tsume and keep an eye on everyone, I'll be back soon," Kiba said as he walked away. He disappeared into the crowd.

Toboe looked at Hige again. He could see his shoulders moving up and down from his heavy breathing. Lines of worry creased in Toboe's face. Tsume saw his expression. This made him frown a little himself.

"You know if you keep worrying like that you're going to end up like him too," Tsume said.

"I think you're right Tsume," Toboe replied. "But do you think that Hige will be all right? I mean, he doesn't look to good," Toboe said, with a small crack in his voice.

"We'll just have to wait and see what kind of help we can get for him. Though I wouldn't expect much out of this place," Tsume grumbled as he looked around. Toboe nodded his head.

The town wasn't in the best shape. The buildings were worn and some were falling apart. A good amount of the people dressed in old worn out clothes. For those who didn't, the clothes they wore didn't look much better. They just seemed cleaner. Toboe wished the whole town was clean. It let off a horrible stench, which was worse for him and his sensitive nose.

"How long do you think it'll take Kiba to come back?" Toboe asked suddenly.

"Like I said, it all depends on what we find here," Tsume said, as he continued looking around at everyone and everything. Toboe frowned. He wanted a definite answer. He wanted Hige to get better. He wanted so many things. But it seemed like none of them were going to happen. Toboe bent his head down. Why is it all getting so complicated now? He asked himself.

Tsume thought about saying something else to Toboe, so he would stop worrying. Part of it was annoying him and part of it, he agreed with. But apparently the only part that was allowed to show was the annoyed part. (Remember this is Tsume we're talking about here.) He glared at Toboe a few times, but Toboe didn't see it. He barely took his eyes off Hige and Cheza. He was watching Hige mainly though.

"What's taking Kiba so long?" Toboe asked. There was nothing else to ask or say, so he just risked irritating Tsume even more.

"I don't know, but I hope he gets back soon. I think the people here are finally noticing us, and they don't seem to like it," Tsume said as he glared at a group of people that was gawking at them.

"You don't think they'll try anything do you?" Toboe asked. He felt a tad bit of fear creep into his mind to play along with the worry. He let things in his mind too easily sometimes.

"They look like the type that would harass some one," Tsume said as he finally sat down with them. He sighed in anger. "Where the hell is Kiba?"

"You said yourself it all depends on what he finds here," Toboe said.

Tsume grumbled something, but Toboe didn't hear what. His thoughts were interrupted by a motion next to him. He looked at Hige to see that Hige was trying to move around. His eyes were finally open, and he actually looked like he realized what was wrong. All the other times, he just seemed lost in pain or just lost all together.

"Where . . . are we?" Hige asked. His voice was almost inaudible. Toboe smiled brightly to finally hear Hige say something.

"We're in the next town. How do you feel right now?" Toboe asked leaning forward to make sure he could hear his answer. It took a moment for Hige to response. But Toboe was surprised, nor did he care. Hige managed a little chuckle.

"I feel like I've been beaten with a boulder five times," Hige smiled. Toboe noticed how pale his face was. Almost all the color had left it. There was a slight rattling when Hige breathed in and out. Toboe knew it must be difficult for him to do so.

"Don't worry, Kiba should be coming back, and then we'll be able to help," Toboe said. Hige smiled again. It seemed that was all he could do now. His smile was small and weak. Whatever was infecting his body was serious and would only get worse. Toboe knew that Hige must have a good will to live if he was pulling through so far.

No one had noticed the time that went by. Hige was still drifting in and out of consciousness. Toboe was finally letting up some on all of his worries now that he knew Hige had a better chance of pulling through. Tsume had seemingly gone off in his own little world, which no one saw very often. Cheza had been sleeping for a while now. She was tired too. Since everyone was off in their minds, they didn't see Kiba reappear from the jumble of people.

Toboe noticed him when he sat down in front of them. Cheza woke up and smiled at him. He returned a quick smile then looked back at Toboe and Hige. Some how Hige managed to stay awake long enough for Kiba to say all the he needed.

"Well I found a place, but I can't guarantee the best treatment. The only reason they even agreed to help us out for free was because I convinced them we really needed. But the only help they could offer was with the lower class," Kiba frowned. He wanted to help out his friend, he didn't want him being treated like the human slum of this town. But then again, not even the higher class people here got good treatment. If you could call them a higher class that is.

"What are we waiting for, let's get him there!" Toboe urged. "Even if it's not that good, it's better than us just sitting here and not doing anything at all," he stood up. Kiba stood up in front of him.

"You're right, let's get going. Tsume you . . ." Kiba stopped. Tsume was already picking up Hige and had him ready to go. Kiba made sure Cheza was strong enough to walk.

"Don't worry Kiba, this one is fine. It is Hige that we should worry about," Cheza ran her hand through Hige's messy hair. Hige felt like some of his fever went away. But he always felt better when Cheza pet him.

They followed Kiba into the crowd. On the way to the supposed "hospital" Tsume told Kiba how the people had begun acting. Kiba agreed. The definitely didn't want strangers here. But they didn't care, they wanted to help Hige as soon as possible. They just had to be careful now.

Welly well well, that's if for chapter 2! I'm really glad that so many have reviewed already. I didn't think it would work this well!!! Not that I'm complaining, thanks to those who have reviewed!!!! Well I hope you like this chapter as much as the last, and all the future ones to come! Ja ne!

youkaigirl


	3. Hospital Time

Chapter 3

"You call this help?" Tsume growled as they entered the lower level of the hospital. "This is more like some hell hole, look at the people here," he said as they found a place to put Hige down.

"I told you, this is all they would give us," Kiba answered. Tsume looked like he was going to say something else, but didn't.

The waiting room they had been forced into was overly crowded. Almost all the people there seemed near death, but they only sat waiting, for what felt like days. Old, young, middle aged. All kinds of people were there. Hopefully they wouldn't find out that wolves were there too. Even though everyone in the waiting room was sick and dying, they looked like they didn't want any strangers either.

One old woman came up to Tsume and threatened him with her cane. He merely glared at her and said nothing. Something about their faces, made all the people there uneasy. Maybe they knew, maybe they just wanted them gone, so they could be taken care of first. What ever it was, they would just have to wait and see.

Toboe looked at the plastic band around Hige's wrist. They had refused to give a last name for Hige. But how could they give one, if he didn't have one? The band marked him being here. Here at this thing called a hospital. Though he didn't it find as very much of a hospital. But it was better than nothing. Toboe said it himself. At the rate this is going, Toboe thought, maybe nothing would be better. He sighed.

Hige was asleep again. He couldn't stay awake for much more that ten minutes. It was probably best he got some rest though. But Toboe wanted to hear him talk, just so he would know that he was still alive. As long as he knew Hige was alive, he wouldn't worry as much. As long as he knew that.

Another hour went by. It had three hours now. The all had been sitting very quietly. The low murmur of the people in the waiting room was all they could hear, and the nurse coming out every hour or so to bring in a new patient. Every time the amount of people went down, new ones came in to fill it back up. Tsume was becoming extremely impatient and agitated. He didn't like being surrounded by such a large crowd. He could barely stand the smell of them all. Then again, none of them could stand the smell.

"Kiba, how long are they going to make us wait in here?" Toboe leaned forward to see over Hige.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to go find out. This is getting annoying just sitting here," Kiba stood up and walked over to the nurse's desk. He waited in front of her, but she didn't seem to notice him standing there. About five minutes passed, she still didn't notice Kiba. He looked over and saw a hand bell on the desk. He tapped his hand on it, and it rang. The nurse finally looked up from her paper work.

"How may I help you?" she said in an uncaring voice. She showed no interest in what was going on around her at all. Though Kiba couldn't blame her much.

"We've been sitting here for a while now, how much longer until our friend can be taken care of?" Kiba made sure the nurse knew he was angry by his tone of voice.

"What's the name?" she asked, not even looking at him, but rather her nails.

"Hige," Kiba gave a quick answer.

"No last name?"

"No. Any more questions?" Kiba was becoming more irritated. The nurse shook her head. She turned in her swivel chair over to a pile of papers and sorted through them until she found the one with the name Hige across the top. She scanned over them, seeing the deal they had made with the hospital about doing this for free. She rolled her eyes.

"It will only be a bit longer, so just hold on," the nurse said as she dropped the papers back down on the desk. "Please go back to your seat sir," she said, giving him a slight glare. Kiba held back his anger and went to sit down.

"So what did they say?" Toboe sounded anxious to know.

"It should only be a bit longer," Kiba said as he crossed his arms on his chest. Toboe slumped back in his seat. This was going to be a long day.

Another hour. When they said it would only be a little longer, they didn't think they meant another hour. Things were starting to get ridiculous. Tsume looked like he was getting ready to kill something. Toboe wouldn't move at all from Hige's or Tsume's side, he was sitting in between both of them. Kiba had just kept an eye on everyone, making sure they didn't act out and pull to much attention to them selves. But he had to watch to make sure he didn't do it himself too. Suddenly another nurse-the one that took people to the doctor-appeared in the doorway.

"Is there any one here named, Hige?" she asked in a light gentle voice. She seemed entirely too nice to belong in that hospital. Kiba stood up. He signaled to Tsume to pick up Hige again. Tsume growled, but did it anyway. Toboe gladly stood along with Cheza.

"We're going with him," Kiba said as they walked over to the nurse. She looked at all of them. They seem very odd, she thought.

"Is that one Hige?" she asked pointing to the boy being supported by Tsume. Kiba nodded his head. "Okay, just follow me please," she lead them down a white hallway. The lights reflected off the white tiling of the floor and gave the hall an odd glow. Toboe looked around at the blank walls, which were also white. There was no color, just white. The only other thing was the doors, and they were brown. But there weren't many doors.

Tsume didn't want to put Hige on his back again, so he just had Hige's arm around the back of his neck and helped him walk. Toboe stood on the other side of Hige just in case Tsume would slip or something. Cheza seemed to be hiding behind Kiba. Toboe thought maybe the nurse didn't even see her there. But it didn't really matter.

"Here is the room. The doctor will be with you momentarily," she smiled at them and left, closing the door behind her. The room she left them in, was equally as white, only it had some more color. There was a small bed with blue sheets and a border of flower wallpaper went around the whole room. A small counter with a sink and a couple cabinets were in one corner. Tsume laid Hige down on the bed.

"OK, we've made it this far, question is, how long are they going to make us wait for the doctor?" Tsume asked.

"I'm not sure, but it better not be much longer," Kiba said as he leaned against a wall. Cheza placed her head on Kiba's shoulder. Toboe plopped down in a chair near the sink. Tsume saw a stool near the door and drug it over some and sat down.

Just as they all settled, a knock came on the door and a woman walked in. It wasn't a nurse, but she was the doctor. Her dark brown hair was pinned into a bun, and she wore a white lab coat. It wasn't that long. They could see the blue shirt she had on underneath it. A small silver chain with a cross hung around her neck. Her deep emerald green eyes gleamed in the light.

"I'm Dr. Reynolds, and I apologize for the long wait," she said as she closed the door. "I'm not very impressed with the nurse in that station myself," she added. The comment was more to herself than them. "Well since he's the one on the bed," she pointed to Hige. "That's Hige, right?" she asked in a flat tone. Though she was a bit nicer, they could tell she wasn't going to be charming with them.

"Yea that's him," Kiba answered. She pulled out a clipboard that she had under her arm.

"Now, what's wrong with him," she looked at them. It was clear that they didn't know. "All right, then what are his symptoms?" she asked.

"He was sneezing at first, cough, fever, lose of strength, and pain is all we know of," Kiba said.

"I see, well let me run a check up, this should only take a minute or so," she said as she got a stethoscope out of her pocket. She placed it over Hige's chest and listened as he breathed. She went to one of the cabinets and got an ear thermometer and a cover. She covered the end and took his temperature. A few seconds later, it began to beep. She took it out of his ear and shook her head slightly.

"Your friend here isn't doing to well," she spoke up. "But I suppose that was obvious," she mumbled. "He has a temperature of 101.4 and his breathing isn't too good. You wouldn't happen to know how he got this sick would you?" she asked putting her things away.

"Well we were on our way here from the last city and we had to travel through that empty land out there," Toboe answered right before Kiba. He didn't know why Toboe answered, but it didn't bother him any.

"Wait, you came from Magus city?" Dr. Reynolds asked. Her voice seemed panicked now as if something was seriously wrong. Toboe nodded his head. She stopped for a moment, thinking on what to do. She quickly composed herself.

"Well, I suggest we get your friend on a breathing machine and such. If you'll excuse me, a nurse will be in shortly to take him upstairs to set him up and everything," she smiled a strange smile. They knew something was wrong. Now a new concern had arisen, what was going to happen to Hige?

OK!!! So this chapter was kinda boring . . . it was to me anyway, but I still liked it. I thought I would just leave you guys hanging for a bit longer! Sorry. Hehe ;; THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!!!!!! This is probably the best turn out I've had for a fic in a while . . . COOLIOS!!! Yes I just said coolios . . . I am an odd person, hehe. Well anyway, the reviews make me want to finish it all the more! So please enjoy this chapter and all future ones to come!! What's in store for Hige and the others? Who's to know! Well I do, but I'm supposed to cuz I'm the writer! Lol , okay, I'm done ranting for now. Ja ne!

youkaigirl


	4. The Secrets of Magus City

Chapter 4

The room they were in now was much bigger. The rooms were better as they went further up. Hige was the only one in his room. The other bed was open, but no one was there. Everyone had moved the chairs to the foot of Hige's bed as they waited for the nurse to return with the breathing machine and what ever else she said she had to get. No one had been paying attention to her.

They did like this room much better. Hardly any one was around. It was a sort of eerie silence, but silence none the less, and that calmed them down some. The only real sound that could be heard was the still heavy breathing of Hige. Now the sun was setting, the swirling colors of red, orange, and shades of pink mixing in the sky. The pink slowly faded into the deep blue of the night sky that was coming.

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Toboe asked as he peered out the window, enjoying the colors.

"I'm not sure. I guess until Hige is better," Kiba shrugged, which caused Cheza, who was asleep on his shoulder, to stir around. He was careful not to move anymore. While Cheza slept on Kiba's shoulder, it appeared that Tsume had also fallen asleep in his chair. Toboe and Kiba were the only ones awake.

"Do you think Hige will get better soon?" Toboe asked, turning to face Kiba. He didn't answer at first, he just stared into the emptiness of the room.

"Well I hope he does," Kiba said. "Why don't you just calm down. As long as we're here, we should rest some, because as soon as we get out, we're going straight to Paradise," Kiba smiled. Toboe didn't see Kiba smile very much, but every time he did, he felt better. Since they could be calm, so could he. "I'm going to get some sleep," he paused. "Since it looks like everyone else is," Kiba said as he gently placed his head on top of Cheza's. Toboe nodded. Kiba drifted into sleep quickly.

Toboe looked out the window again. The sun was lower, and the midnight blue of evening was finally setting in. He could see the moon, slowly starting to rise, it's glow even stronger than the night before, it seemed. He cast a quick glance at the others, sleeping soundly. As tired as he might be, Toboe didn't want to go to sleep. He just stared out the window again, waiting for the nurse to come back. A sudden noise grabbed his attention. Toboe turned around and saw Hige stirring in his bed.

"Hige? Are you awake?" Toboe asked, getting out of his chair and going to the side of his bed. He looked down to see Hige's eyes were half open and searching the room. Hige saw Toboe looking down on him.

"When did we get here?" his voice was quiet still, but louder since they weren't in the busy outdoors of the town.

"We're at the hospital, they're going to take care of you. The nurse should be coming back soon," Toboe replied. Hige mumbled something, but his face was hidden by the blankets. Toboe gave him an odd stare, but he didn't notice. "What did you say?" he asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Don't worry about it kid," Hige rolled over on his side. Toboe cocked his head in confusion. Toboe went to the other side of the bed to face Hige again. He bent down so he could look at Hige's face directly. "What's wrong?" Hige mumbled from under the blankets.

"Do you feel any better?" Toboe asked. Hige took a breath like he was going to respond, but that breath triggered another coughing fit. His cough was worse and it lasted longer than usual. When he finally gained control again, he answered.

"I feel the same, but at least I'm more comfortable here than I was out there," he forced a smile. It was true that a bed would feel better than the ground, but that didn't do much to help. Toboe gave a nod of his head. He began to say something else as the nurse finally walked in. She pulled the breathing machine behind, along with something else.

"Sorry that took so long, we've been rearranging things and I couldn't find it," she laughed slightly. It was obvious she was trying to lighten the mood in the room. Hige glanced at her and rolled over again, seemingly drifting back to sleep. "Why don't you and you're friends go and get some food at the café, it's just down the hall," she smiled gently at Toboe.

"Uh . . . we don't really have any money," Toboe looked at the ground.

"Oh, that's right. Well go ahead and go there, basically everyone knows about the people who managed free treatment, and besides, they're all really nice down there," she smiled again. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him for you."

"All right," Toboe said as he walked over to Kiba and shook his shoulder lightly. Toboe decided to wake Kiba first because he knew Tsume would yell at him. He nearly jolted out of his seat, but then remembered he had Cheza on his other shoulder. He looked at Toboe. "She said we should go get something to eat, and not to worry about paying," Toboe headed for the door, when the doctor came in suddenly.

Kiba saw her, but had no reaction. He woke Cheza and Tsume and told them about getting food. All though all Cheza would be getting was a lot of water. But Tsume looked like he was hungry, since he had no objection to it. Toboe told them it was just down the hall. As they began out the door, another person, this time a man, walked in. They weren't sure why all these people were coming in, but they would ask later. They went down the hall to the café.

Dr. Reynolds went over to Hige's bed as saw that he was asleep. The nurse had managed to put the breathing mask over his face, despite the fact he was on his side. Dr. Reynolds gently pushed him on his back and pulled one of his arms out from the covers and some how didn't wake him. She rolled up his sleeve and wiped the area above his vein with an alcohol swab. She motioned for the nurse to come over with the iv. Dr. Reynolds carefully put the iv in Hige's arm and made sure it was secure.

"You can leave now, Mr. Hunt and I have something to talk about," she said in a serious tone of voice. The nurse nodded and left, closing the door behind her. Dr. Reynolds walked to the empty bed and pulled the curtain around it. Mr. Hunt joined her. Though Hige had appeared asleep, he wasn't. He looked at his arm and frowned. He hated needles, he wasn't sure why, but he did. He listened close as they began to talk.

"Now what's wrong with this boy again?" a strong male voice came from behind the curtain. Hige knew that must be Mr. Hunt.

"They came from Magus City, don't you know what that means?" she asked, her voice harsh. Mr. Hunt didn't answer. "Don't you remember? Genesis Factory is in Magus City," it was clear she was trying to hold back from yelling.

"So, what does Genesis have to do with this?" he stopped. "Wait, you don't think it's . . ." his voice drifted.

"Exactly. It had to be C-5. Nothing else causes serious illness like this," Dr. Reynolds said. Hige was now confused and wanting to hear more. He was careful not to make any noise with his blanket and tried as hard as he could to hold back coughing.

"Just how was he able to get a hold of C-5? Didn't they stop producing that years ago?" Mr. Hunt asked.

"They were supposed to, but so many people had been using that as a fuel for certain things, that they just continued making it in secret," she answered.

"So what's so bad about this kid possibly having C-5 poisoning?" Mr. Hunt questioned. Dr. Reynolds didn't answer. "I would like an answer today Ms. Reynolds, being director of the hospital calls for something other than some kid," he snapped.

"Yes I know, but, don't you remember? Genesis Factory supplies us with some of the medicines we need, if words get out that some one has C-5 poisoning, that's it. It's gone for good! That would be the end of that factory and we would have to find a new one, which will be impossible!" she finally began to yell. Hige became worried now. What's going on? He asked himself. What do they plan to do with me?

"So, why don't we just go after the antidote?" Mr. Hunt asked.

"Because sir, that's entirely too dangerous, they don't keep the antidote stored in any place, and I might add that also is nearly impossible to find," Dr. Reynolds stopped.

"OK, then why don't we wait for him just to get better, I mean with constant monitoring and medicine, he would get better eventually," he said.

"That's true, but after a day or so, they would want to know what's wrong and if they find, we can't be sure that they'll keep their mouths shut and even if we could keep it from them, people still might get suspicious of it. I'm not the only that knows C-5 poisoning," she said. Hige heard her sit down on the bed.

"What else can we do then?" Mr. Hunt's voice grew louder. He was getting agitated.

"Well there is one way, and I'm sure we can pull it off without being questioned or causing anyone to begin to wander about any of this," she said.

"And just what would that be?" Mr. Hunt snapped again.

"That would be to kill the boy," she stopped. Hige felt his heart skip a beat. She had to be kidding, right? She couldn't really plan to do this? He wondered.

"Are you insane!? That would cause as much trouble as just leaving him the way he is!" Mr. Hunt broke into a yell.

"No, we can make it seem like he was too sick, and any papers we should have to fill out we can do that and just make a story up. I know it's risky, but it's not as risky as just not doing anything," Dr. Reynolds stood up. Hige was still in shock. She really is going to do it! They're going to kill me! His mind screamed. Dr. Reynolds opened the curtain. Hige thought for a split second on what to do, and quickly closed his eyes. Luckily he was good at faking sleep. He heard them walk to the door.

"Fine, but how do we do it with all of his little friends around?" Mr. Hunt asked.

"We give them some reason about them not being able to stay in the room and put them some where else to sleep, then we come in and take care of it, simple as that. But we don't have to worry about that for a while. Let them come back from eating so it all seems normal," she finished.

"I still don't agree completely, but if it means us staying in business and not causing serious trouble, then I suppose I have no choice," Mr. Hunt opened the door. Hige heard Dr. Reynolds say something as they walked out.

"Don't worry, everything will work out fine."

AHAHAHA!!!! I felt like being mean and stopping there!! OK, now everyone is going to hate me! I'm sorry, but I just like doing that . . . hehe ;; Please don't hate me for it! OK, well . . . yea . . . I keep updating as fast as I can so, you shouldn't have to wait too long for the next, chapter, and it should be done by sometime this weekend! I haven't had any school cuz of all the flooding here in Marietta. Stupid hurricane. Well any way, PLEASE ENJOY!!!! And keep the reviews up! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!! Ok I'm sure I just scared a lot of you, but I really do like all this, I've never had this many reviews before! Ja ne!

youkaigirl


	5. Breaking Out

Chapter 5

Hige laid perfectly still. His mind was frozen. They're going to kill me, he told himself over and over. He couldn't get over that fact. He didn't know what to do. He knew that he would have a little time to tell the others what was going on, but he was starting to drift back into sleep. NO! I have to stay awake. He told himself. Just long enough to explain.

"All right," he muttered to himself. "If I'm going to stay awake, I better sit up," he pushed himself up. Even though it was simple to do, to Hige it felt like he used all his strength. A stinging pain went through his arm. He looked down and saw the iv. He took a deep breath and grabbed onto the thin tube running to the needle. Hige closed his eyes and pulled. Another pain shot up his arm, but the iv was gone. He wiped up the bit of blood there was.

Hige slipped off the oxygen mask. He coughed for a second, but stopped himself from going on. He shook his head as sleep began to creep up on him. "No!" he yelled. "I can't sleep yet, I gotta tell them what's going on," Hige shook his head again. Stay awake, stay awake, his mind kept saying.

"Come on Hige, you can fight this," he told himself. "So what if it's some kind of chemical, you can beat it . . ." his voice died as he coughed again. His throat burned now. He wanted water, just something to soothe the pain. Anything at all. But he didn't have anything. "Oh well," he said. "Hurry up guys, come back!" he tried to yell, but it hurt too much. He refused to let himself lay back down. He refused to let sleep take control again. Hige knew that if he slept now, that was it. He knew he would die if he slept now.

It seemed like the minutes going by took forever. Hige looked at the clock again. It had only been half an hour. They should be back anytime now. Hige felt his eyes closing. He quickly smacked his hand against his head. Every time he felt himself drifting off, he would either shake his head or smack himself. Though, those tactics seemed to be failing now. He tried biting his tongue, which worked for the first few times, but after a while, it didn't. Hige sighed.

'Nothing is working,' Hige thought. 'GAH! How long can it take to get food!' his mind questioned. He stopped for a moment and thought hard. Food wasn't appealing to him for once. But then again food doesn't really appeal to one if their stomach is in knots and pain. He sighed again. He was beginning to think it was useless trying to stay awake. He couldn't do it much longer. Just as he was giving up and going to sleep, he heard the door open.

"So much for the people supposedly being nice down there," Tsume growled. Hige looked over and saw them enter. Tsume and Kiba looked angry and Toboe just looked upset, until he looked up and saw Hige sitting up in his bed.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be resting?" Toboe asked as he hurried over to the side of the bed. "What's wrong?" Toboe asked, seeing the look in Hige's eyes. Tsume, Kiba, and Cheza stood behind Toboe. Hige took a moment, fighting off the sleep so he could explain everything he just heard.

"We have to leave, and we have to do it now," Hige tried to speak up, but his voice was leaving him. He cleared his throat, trying to make himself louder.

"What are you talking about? We can't leave now, you're too sick," Toboe said. Hige shook his head.

"The doctors were talking while you guys were gone," he began. His throat burned for a moment. "I'm sick cuz of some kind of chemical, I don't know exactly," he stopped again, his eyes starting to close on him. "All I know is that . . . that," sleep was coming in like the tide. Waves washed over him, trying to drag him down. Kiba came forward and grabbed Hige's shoulders. He shook him lightly, keeping him awake.

"Hige, what did they say?" Kiba said still holding his shoulders.

"They're going to kill me," Hige said. He didn't want to explain it all. He told them the important part, besides, if he tried to say it all, he would fall asleep for sure.

"You can't be serious, why would they do that?" Toboe asked.

"It has to do with the chemical that made me sick and some factory," Hige broke off into a cough. "There's no time to explain it all, we have to leave," his voice was getting weaker. Sleep crashed down on him. His eyes could barely stay open. Kiba laid him down and released his shoulders.

"Well, should we do what he says?" Kiba asked. Toboe and Tsume stood in silence.

"This one thinks that we should go," Cheza suddenly spoke up. They were surprised to hear her. "This one does not feel right here, this one believes Hige," she smiled. Kiba looked at her for a moment, the Tsume and Toboe. It was clear Toboe was willing to do it, and Tsume seemed to agree. The only part that he didn't like is that he would have to carry Hige again. So they decided. Hige wouldn't lie about something like this. They were going to get out of there and fast.

The moon shone through the window. Hige was asleep again. The others sat and planned how they could leave without drawing too much attention to themselves. It wouldn't be that hard, considering that hardly anyone was on that floor. But what if the doors were locked? What if we run into someone and they try to stop us? These were some questions that were asked, but really no one had the answers, they would just have to wing it.

"All right, we just have to get back down stairs and out. It shouldn't be that hard because it's late, but we still have to be careful," Kiba said. He opened the door and looked out. The hall was completely empty from both ways. No one was there. "Ok it's clear out here, so lets go," he said as he shut the door quietly. Toboe and Tsume helped Hige up and out of his bed. Tsume made it easier and hoisted Hige onto his back. That way he wouldn't have to worry about helping him down stairs or anything.

"Well lets get this over with," Tsume said as he pulled Hige up more. Kiba opened the door again and lead them out. Cheza was beside him and Tsume and Toboe were in the back. They decided before they left that they wouldn't talk unless necessary when they were in the hallway. That way it reduced the risk of being caught. They came to the end of the hall. It turned left and right.

"Kiba, do you remember which way to go?" Toboe asked, in his quietest voice. Kiba gave a nod of his head and turned left.

They followed the next hallway until they saw the door to the stairs just ahead. As they approached the door, they heard another pair of foot steps. Two pairs actually. Toboe and Tsume turned to see Dr. Reynolds and a man. They weren't sure who, but they figured it was the other doctor Hige had been talking about. Everyone stopped.

"Just were do you think you're going with him?" Dr. Reynolds asked. Her voice was sharp.

"We're leaving, we don't need your services anymore," Kiba said. They turned and tried to walk away.

"Hold it," Dr. Reynolds said. They heard an odd sound. The sound of a gun being cocked and ready to shoot. "I suggest you just go back to the room now," she demanded. Kiba held back a growl.

"I said, we don't need you're help, so we're leaving," Kiba said through clenched teeth. Dr. Reynolds pointed her gun directly at Kiba. He didn't react. "We're going now," Kiba turned again and started to walk. They followed him.

"One more step and I shoot," she threatened. None of them stopped. "Fine," she said. She pulled the trigger. A bullet grazed across Kiba's arm. No loud noise was released due to the silencer on the gun. Kiba flinched, and turned back around. "I told you to stop," she smiled evilly. She cocked her gun again.

"Tsume, would you care to take one?" Kiba said as he walked to his side. Tsume smiled.

"If it means us getting out of this hell hole," Tsume answered. "Here," Tsume slipped Hige off his back. Toboe helped Hige stand, but had to have him lean against a wall. Cheza stayed behind Toboe and Hige. As Tsume and Kiba approached them, Mr. Hunt pulled out his own gun.

A solid white wolf, and a light gray wolf with an "x" scar on its chest appeared in front of Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Hunt. They became confused.

"What the hell?" Mr. Hunt asked, mainly to himself. "What's going on?" he looked to Dr. Reynolds. She seemed at a total lose on what to do. The wolves growled, and bared their fangs. Kiba jumped forward at Dr. Reynolds. Though she saw it coming, and her gun was cocked, she was scared and didn't react fast enough.

Razor sharp fangs sunk into the delicate flesh of her neck. Kiba felt her blood spray into his mouth. Dr. Reynolds gasped for breath as Kiba bit harder, his teeth sinking deeper, ripping apart her throat. Mr. Hunt stood petrified as he watched the white wolf tear her neck open. The wolf finally let go, knowing that his victim was dead. A puddle of blood surrounded the body of Dr. Reynolds and some dripped from the pearly white fangs of the wolf.

Another growl pulled his attention away from the gruesome scene. The gray wolf was now coming towards him. He cocked his gun and shot. Tsume dodged the bullet and lunged at Mr. Hunt. His claws dug into his chest as fangs tore out his throat, just as the other wolf had done to Dr. Reynolds. Tsume didn't hold on long, he wanted to watch him die. The blood from both Mr. Hunt and Dr. Reynolds formed a pool in the hallway. Kiba and Tsume licked the blood off their teeth.

Going back to looking like humans, they didn't want to waste anymore time. Some one would be there soon and find the bodies. Tsume simply threw Hige over his shoulder and headed for the stairs. Cheza and Toboe were quick to follow behind them. Kiba nearly busted down the door and raced down the stairs. They all ran as fast as they could, being careful not to stumble.

The trip down the stairs was easy. Now that they reached the bottom floor, they just had to worry about running into someone else. Kiba opened the door and looked ahead. No one was there, except for one nurse. The one behind the counter. Kiba didn't care, if she tried anything, he could take care of it in a split second. So he continued running, and so did the others. Toboe and Cheza were in the back, but keeping a good pace. Tsume was going fast especially with Hige on his shoulder. The nurse behind the desk heard the sound of them running and looked up.

She didn't know what was going on. She just merely watched them run by. They reached the door and quickly filed out, with out a problem. The nurse still watched, as she slowly realized something. She saw the boys from earlier that day and the girl, but for a second, they weren't boys. The only thing that was the same was the girl. For that one second, she saw wolves running down the hallway.

The town streets were surprisingly empty. It was easy for all them to get out and fast. Only a few cars drove by, but no one paid attention. Toboe had grabbed onto Cheza's hand to make sure she kept up with them. For being the youngest, Toboe was keeping a good pace.

They didn't stop running, not until they knew they were clear from that town. They ran and ran until they saw there was no more buildings surrounding them. They stopped for a moment to catch their breath.

"Where do we go from here?" Toboe asked, looking back at the town, then to Kiba.

"I'm not sure, but I guess we keep going that way," Kiba pointed towards the trees in the distance. If they ran like before, they could probably be in the next town by sometime tomorrow.

"What about him?" Tsume asked as he took Hige off his shoulder for a moment. "If this is some kind of chemical thing, then we have to find someone that can help us," he said.

"I know, but if they knew that much in that town, then the next must know something too," Kiba sounded confident. News did travel quickly, and hopefully the next town had the news on how to help Hige. "But I do suggest we at least know what this chemical is called, it would make it easier to find someone," Kiba said in a sort of sarcastic voice. Tsume held Hige up by his shoulders and shook him until Hige finally opened his eyes.

"Don't shake so hard," he mumbled. "How did we get outside?" Hige asked as he peered around.

"We broke out of that hell hole," Tsume answered. "Do you remember what that chemical was called?" he asked getting a firmer grip on his shoulders.

"You mean the one doing all this?" he asked. Tsume nodded. "I think it was c something," Hige said closing his eyes again. He felt like he had no energy at all. Tsume shook him again. "What?" he mumbled.

"We need to know the name Hige," Tsume demanded.

"I said it was c something," he stopped for a moment trying to recall the name. "C . . . c . . ." his voice drifted off. A moment went by. "C-5, that's what it's called," Hige suddenly answered as he slowly fell asleep again.

"C-5? You're sure?" Tsume asked. Hige nodded his head drowsily. They had the name of the chemical, now they just needed the cure.

OKI DOKI!!!!!!!!!! Here I am at 1:36 A.M. writing . . . not that I mind, all my ideas come at night anyway. I think this fic is just about done, I would guess only about one or two more chapters. Three at the very most. Well I hope I did a good job at describing the whole killing part . . . I was amused by their deaths! But then again, I am amused when people die when I'm watching Wolf's Rain, that is people that I don't like . . . hehe ;; Well anyway, I plan to have this done this weekend . . . don't want to do this during school and all . . . so yea. That's it for now, hope you like it! Ja ne!

youkaigirl


	6. Keno and Rei

I was meaning to do this at the beginning, but I don't own Wolf's Rain . . . at all . . . but I think that was a given . . .

Chapter 6

The moon was fading. Night was slipping away. They still stood outside the town, not sure what to do. They had gotten out, and hopefully found safety. Hige was asleep on the ground, Toboe sitting next to him. Tsume and Kiba stood, looking out to the line of trees that marked the small patch of woods ahead. The next town was beyond that. They knew that much. No one had spoken for some time now.

"I don't think we should stay here," Kiba broke the silence. Everyone turned and looked at him. "The sooner we get moving, the better," Kiba said. Tsume stared at him for a moment longer, then turned and went over to Hige. Toboe helped him again with putting Hige on his back.

They moved out. Kiba was right, they probably shouldn't stay there. It wasn't safe in that town, but they didn't know if it would be any safer in the next. But it was worth the risk. They had to do it, for Hige.

The moon sunk lower in the sky. They didn't run, they found it best to save some energy. Cheza had begun to look worn, so Kiba carried her. Hige had been coughing more, and harder. His face was drained of all color. But there was a slight hint of pink due to the fever. His breathing was ragged and short. Toboe cast a concerned look to him several times.

They had finally reached the trees when the sun barely began to rise. Kiba looked back for a moment, and took one last look at the town. He knew they had found the bodies by now, but he didn't have to worry about that anymore. Clearing that from his mind, he trudged through the leaves that covered the ground. Tsume stopped for a moment and pulled Hige up again.

"Do you think anyone will know the cure?" Toboe asked, trying to make a conversation. No one answered at first. No one really had an answer.

"We can only hope Toboe," Kiba said, without looking back at him. Toboe slumped his head down in disappointment.

"Stop being depressed already, it's getting annoying," Tsume said. It was annoying him, but he deep inside he didn't want Toboe to be depressed.

They continued walking, the trees getting thicker. They thought that it would of lead them to the next town, but maybe it didn't. Everyone tried to keep that thought from invading their minds. I wonder what Hige is thinking, Toboe asked himself. He wondered if Hige was even thinking at all.

Hige's mind was in a haze. Nothing was clear, except for his fever. He heard people talking, but he didn't know what they were saying or if they were trying to talk to him. He wanted to open his eyes and see, but it felt like they were glued shut. But then he thought sleep was beginning to feel better than being awake. He stopped himself from thinking like that. He knew that meant he was losing, and he refused to lose. The voices he heard went away. Hige wanted them to come back, so he would want to wake up. But they didn't come back, until a few minutes later, only there was a new voice.

The sound of a twig snapping behind them, caused everyone to jump. They turned to see a tall man there. He was dressed in old clothes, worn clothes. He had a brown beard, hiding his face. His hair was equally as brown and fuzzy. But behind that, there was two brilliant green eyes, gleaming at them.

"Now, what would you be doing out here?" he asked, his voice deep. No one answered him. "Well?" he stared at them.

"We're looking for help," Toboe said. "Our friend," he pointed to Hige, "is sick, and we need to find the cure," he finished.

"A cure huh?" he asked. "May I ask what's making him sick, you'd be surprised how much I know," he smiled. The group wasn't sure what to do. All of a sudden a man appears and wants to help, this was just too odd for them.

"It's called," Toboe stopped, he couldn't remember the name. "Tsume, what's it called again?" he asked.

"C-5," Tsume answered. The man had a shocked look across his face for a moment.

"Are you serious? I haven't seen anyone with C-5 poisoning in a few years," he said, rubbing his beard. "Lucky for you, I know the cure, but it won't be easy to find," he walked closer to them. Everyone took a step back. "Don't worry, I'm just going to help," he smiled again. "Oh, I suppose it would help if I introduced myself, wouldn't it?" he laughed at himself. "The name's Keno."

Either this man was crazy or he really did want to help. No one was sure which, but if this man did want to help, they would take it. Everyone stood still, as if they were almost afraid to move. The man stopped next to Tsume and Hige. He touched his hand to Hige's face and looked closely. It was like he was examining him.

"How long has he been like this?"Keno asked.

"About a day and a half," Kiba said. Keno's expression lightened some with Kiba's answer.

"It's a good thing I ran into you now, people with C-5 poisoning don't live much longer than three or four days."

Now they were glad that they had run into this man named Keno too. But they didn't know if they were being tricked or not. Yet something about how he was acting and offering his help seemed very trustworthy. They looked around at each other for a moment, thinking on if they should trust him or not.

"You can help him?" Kiba asked. Keno nodded. "We'll go with you," Kiba finally gave him an answer.

"All right, just follow me," Keno walked to the front and lead them on. An awkward silence had come over all them. None of them wanted to talk because of Keno. There were still doubts in their minds if they really could trust him. But as they walked on, a trust was formed some how, even though they were silent.

The sun was in clear view now. The light came in patches as it shone through the tree branches. The path they walked seemed relatively straight and smooth. Still no one spoke, but they had let some of the tension go. Hige had stopped coughing for a while. At first Toboe thought it was good, but then he thought about it and he realized that Hige's coughing was the only way they knew he was still alive.

"Um . . . are we almost there?" Toboe spoke up, but barely loud enough to hear. Keno stopped and turned around. He smiled at Toboe.

"Look right over there," Keno pointed off to the left at a wooden cabin. He took them to the front and door and swung it open. "Rei, I'm back," Keno put his pack down by the door and lead the others in. The foot steps of a small woman came forth. She was small indeed, not height wise, but she was very thin. Her face was bright, with pink cheeks. Her blue gray eyes sparkled. Her light brown hair was cut short.

"Oh, you didn't tell me you would be bringing home guests," she said in her light voice that chimed like bells.

"Well you see this boy," he pointed over to Hige. "Has C-5 poisoning," Keno replied. Her face went blank for a moment, as if something was wrong, but then she snapped out of it.

"Why don't you have him in our extra bed yet?" she hurried over to Tsume and tried to pull Hige off of him. Tsume wouldn't let go of him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt him, and I can lift him," she pulled on Hige a bit more, and Tsume let him go. Surprisingly, she could carry him, quite easily at that. Tsume was glad to have Hige's weight off his back though, it was beginning to hurt.

Rei carried him to the far side of the main room they were in, and laid him down on a small bed they kept in the corner. Keno brought out some seats for everyone else and a blanket. He put it over Hige. He then went over and joined everyone else, along with Rei.

"So, why don't we introduce ourselves?" she smiled. "I'm Rei, and I see you've met my husband Keno already, what's your names?" she asked.

"His name is Hige," Kiba pointed over to the boy laying in the bed. "I'm Kiba, and this is Cheza," though he didn't want to necessarily, he introduced himself anyway.

"My name's Toboe," he spoke in a brighter voice than before. Tsume didn't say anything. Toboe nudged him in the side with his elbow. Tsume growled slightly.

"Tsume," he mumbled, but they understood.

"Well, I guess the next thing should be about Hige, that's his name right?" Rei asked to make sure. Kiba nodded. "Ok, but before that, you don't have to keep hiding like that," Rei said calmly. The boys gave her a confused look. She looked to Keno.

"We know that you're wolves, so you don't have to keep up that human disguise," he said. They seemed a bit shocked to hear that. "That's why I offered to help, and the same goes for Rei, you see we both care for any animal very much," Keno finished. Even though they knew it was safe to look like wolves around Keno and Rei, they stayed in their human form.

"How long will it take to find a cure?" Kiba asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"Well we have to go find it, the cure is called the Yuki flower, a very beautiful flower, but hard to find. Hopefully there is still some in the same spot I found them last,"

"A snow flower?" Toboe asked.

"Yes, I'm going to take Kiba and Tsume with me to help find it, Rei you take care of these two and the girl," Keno said standing up. He went over to his pack again and gathered a few more things. He checked to make sure his good knife was still there and slipped the pack back on his shoulders.

Kiba and Tsume stood up and walked over to Keno. They carried nothing, they didn't need to. Rei walked over to them, her face carrying a sad expression. Keno knew she didn't want him to leave yet, since he had just come back, but he also knew Rei understood how important it was to find the cure.

"Be careful," she whispered as she gave him a quick hug and went to attend to Hige. Keno smiled at her and walked out the door. Kiba and Tsume followed Kiba.

"We should be back soon, if all goes well," Keno announced as he turned around for a second to give his wife one last look. The door shut behind Tsume.

"I hope they find the Yuki flower," Toboe said as he went to sit next to Rei. He looked over and saw that Cheza seemed weaker. "Do you have some water she could drink?" he asked. Rei nodded.

"I can get some for her," she stood up and poured a glass of water for Cheza from the sink. Cheza drank it with much appreciation. "I should probably get some cold water for him too," she said. She went to one of the wooden cabinets and pulled out a bowl. She filled it with water and quickly grabbed a wash cloth.

"What's that for?" Toboe asked. Cheza followed Rei back into the main room and sat next to Toboe.

"This is for his fever, hopefully it will cool him down some," Rei said as she placed the wet cloth over Hige's forehead. Hige seemed to relax some with the cool cloth on his head. "Now how long has he been like this again?" Rei asked, thinking that if she knew, she could help some more.

"A day and a half," Toboe responded quickly. Rei's expression darkened. Toboe gave her a confused look. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"You don't know all of the effects of C-5, do you?" Rei almost talked in a whisper. Toboe shook his head. "I didn't think you would, anyway, one of the major effects is hallucinations, and since it's been this long, I'm some what surprised he hasn't had any," Rei explained. Toboe cast a worried look to Hige.

So the worst wasn't over, he thought, it's just now beginning . . . .

WOOOOOOO!!!!!! CHAPTER 6 FINALLY DONE!!!! I am sooooooooo SORRY for not updating for like . . . however long it was, all's I know is that it was a looooong time. So here you go, and now that I'm over all my writers block and such, chapter 7 is well on the way, so READ ON AND ENJOY!!!!! ONCE AGAIN, I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please read and review! Ja ne! .

youkaigirl


	7. Search

Chapter 7

A blood curdling scream pierced the dimness of the early morning. Toboe jolted up from the bed roll on the floor next to Hige. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark, but soon saw the screams were coming from Hige. Toboe scrambled out of his covers. He looked at Hige's bed, and didn't see him, until he looked in the corner. Hige was curled into a little ball, whimpering like a pup. Toboe wasn't sure what to do, he didn't know what was going on.

"Rei! Wake up, quick!" Toboe called as he crawled over to Hige, trying to calm him. "Hige it's me, Toboe, it's all right," Toboe reached out and tried to grab his shoulder. Hige shrunk away from him, as if he had never seen Toboe before.

"Oh no," Rei said as she entered the main room from her back room. "He's hallucinating," Rei finished as she saw Hige curl into a smaller ball.

"Well, what do you we do?" Toboe asked in an urgent voice. The look in Rei's eyes made Toboe feel worse.

"We need to find a way to calm him down," was all Rei could say.

Keno led Kiba and Tsume deeper into the forest, which happened to be much deeper than they thought. The search was stopped for a while, since night had fallen, but now the morning light was shining and they were on the way again. Of course, Tsume wasn't the happiest, he still didn't trust Keno too much. But Kiba didn't have much more than Tsume. The only thing that kept them from leaving was finding a cure for Hige. Kiba said they would all make it to paradise together, and he was going to make sure of that.

"So what does this flower look like that we need to find?" Kiba asked. Keno stopped and turned around.

"Well, it's white, of course. It doesn't have a fragrance, and the center of it is a light blue. It has two leaves, and five petals, that's it," Keno explained. Kiba nodded. Tsume showed no sign of even hearing Keno, but he did.

"How hard is it to find?" Tsume spoke up suddenly. Keno thought for a moment.

"Well if I can find the spot I went to last time I needed Yuki flowers, then it should be easy. I just hope nothing has happened to that spot in the last few years," Keno said. He turned around again and continued leading.

"You needed Yuki flowers before?" Kiba asked. Keno hesitated, obviously not wanting to answer.

"Yes I have."

Cheza placed her pale hand on Hige's forehead. It was difficult to reach him, but she did. Slowly his panicked and terrified expression faded, and he fell asleep again. Lines of fright still traced his face, but at least he was calm. Toboe was glad that they had Cheza. Rei sighed in relief, she was at a loss on what to do for Hige.

"Good thinking Cheza," Toboe smiled. Cheza smiled back at him. "Will he have more hallucinations?" he asked, turning to face Rei.

"Well since Cheza is here to help, it might not be so bad, I mean, look how much she's helped out so far, just with that little bit."

Toboe looked back Hige, who had curled into a slight ball buried in blankets. Cheza continued to sit next to him and ran her fingers through his hair. Toboe's attention was taken from Hige and Cheza to Rei walking quickly to the kitchen. He followed her quietly. Rei sat down heavily in a chair and hid her face with her hands. Toboe titled his head in confusion and walked up next to her.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Rei peeked her head up quickly.

"Yes, I was just thinking of something…" her voice stopped and she looked down.

"What was it?" Toboe asked, he was curious. Rei looked as if it would kill her to say what she was thinking. Finally, she took a deep breath and let it out.

"There's a reason why I know so much about what's wrong with him," the light in her eyes faded some as she brought painful memories back. Toboe didn't say anything he wanted her to continue. "When the poisoning first started to occur, many people became sick," she pause for a moment. "I was one of them. Keno is the one who saved me."

"You were poisoned too?" Toboe asked. That explains why she looked so sad, he thought. "But that means you can live through it!" he added, with a touch of excitement.

"True he can live…but it also depends on how fast the poison is spreading…"

"But, they should be back any time, right?" Toboe panicked some. Rei didn't answer. She didn't want to build any false hope. True, they could be back any time, but they could return without the flower, or not return soon enough. Toboe gave up on getting a response, Rei had been silent for a few minutes now. He clinched his fist tightly and walked back to his bed roll. Rei opened her mouth to say something, but no words came from her. She felt guilt growing for not saying something. So she walked in and placed her hand on Toboe's shoulder.

"They'll come back soon enough. As long as they're back before…" she stopped again. She wasn't sure how to word it.

"Before what?"

"Before he starts to cough…blood," she almost choked out her last word, recalling all the pain. Toboe's eyes widened. Blood? His mind yelled. He couldn't believe there was even more to this poisoning. Every time a flicker of hope began to shine, something else came and destroyed it. Rei saw his expression. "Don't think about it, that only makes it worse," she smiled gently.

"This can't be," Keno murmured as he went down on one knee and dug through the leaves.

"What?" Kiba asked.

"This is where the flowers where last time, I'm sure of it," Keno dug more. "I don't know why there wouldn't be anymore…"

"Are you sure you have the right place?" Tsume asked scanning the ground for any kind of flower at all. There was only dead leaves.

"I'm positive," Keno sighed.

"Just keep looking," Kiba commanded. He wasn't about to give up.

Soon Tsume and Kiba were digging with their front paws, not caring about staying in their human forms anymore. Keno searched everywhere. None of them would stop, but still they were very careful not to dig too hard, for fear of passing over or destroying a flower.

"Shit! This is getting us no where!" Tsume yelled, shaking some of the dirt of his fur.

"Don't stop looking Tsume," Kiba growled.

"There clearly aren't anymore of these flowers! There's nothing here Kiba," Tsume snapped. Kiba ignored everything he said and kept looking. Tsume had to hold back his urge to attack Kiba from time to time, in order to keep looking.

Toboe found himself jumping every time the slightest cough came from Hige. He was worried to look over and see blood trickling from his mouth, but much to his relief, he never saw any blood. Rei would pour some water in Hige's mouth from time to time to keep his throat from drying out, and Cheza stayed by his side.

"What do you think is taking them so long?" Toboe broke a long silence that had infected the room.

"I'm not sure, but all we can do is wait…"

Toboe sighed heavily and laid down. He was a little tired from being woken up so early. He hadn't slept very well the night due to the fact that he was worried. Toboe looked at the ceiling for a moment, then closed his eyes. He hated waiting for them, he hated just sitting there not being able to do anything.

WEEEE! I FINALLY POSTED AGAIN! YES! GO ME! I've had the most horrible case of writer's block ever and now I really do have it all planned out and decided to make it 8 chapters, but I swear it will be done soon! I REALLY DO!

Youkai girl


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